The Firsan Provinces
"Firsans are good and honest folk. There was no good cause to spill their blood. So of course a Firsan had to go and massacre ten Varnian diplomats for no reason. Conveniently, that happened a month before the invasion of Khiva. See what I'm getting at?" ''- A Prithan intelligence officer to the druidic council of Niva, a month prior to his own assassination. ''"The Provinces are a great example of how well a nation can do with regional representation, minimal taxation and close to non-existent centralised regulation. They are, however, also a great example of how defenseless a nation becomes if they pursue such goals and are left in peace for too long." - ''Professor Sitha of Prithus University, Faculty of Social Sciences and Politics '''Description' The Firsan Provinces, often referred to as "The Provinces", is a nation consisting of many small provinces, all of which are represented in a central 'moot' that barely held anything beyond nominal power in the past. Recently, measures have been taken to remedy this situation in order to address the Varnian threat, and thus the first Lady-Regent of Firsa, Innissa of Ugger, has been elected by the moot to rule with close to absolute control. The people of the Provinces are known for their peaceful and naturally benevolent attitudes towards others, and the Provinces is the most racially diverse country in all Kranos. Firsans are skilled craftsmen and even better healers - the rich and powerful individuals of most nations will almost always send for a Firsan professional if they need ornate robes custom made, an aesthetically impressive structure built or a difficult disease or injury treated. Geographically speaking, most of the Provinces consist of flat grasslands, with the exception of the Northern Provinces: these are dominated by glacial fjords and mountains, but this has not deterred the hardy Firsans from settling. The country's climate is generally the coldest in all of Kranos, which is why Firsans prefer to live in advanced stone structures that are designed to retain heat as effectively as possible. Races Firsans are typically Dwarves, Genasi, Gnomes or Human. Culture Firsans are known for their natural talent for healing and crafting, which has earned them the respect and envy of the entirety of Kranos. Their gifts are in part a result of their benevolent culture of sharing, but also of a faith in pacifism that has been shaken thoroughly recently. While they were considered gullible before the Varnian invasion, they have become quite ept at recognising hostile intent now. History The Provinces used to be a part of the ancient Khivan Empire, but formed a nation almost naturally when the empire collapsed due to significant linguistic and cultural uniformity in the region. The region has always been naturally wealthy, and its capital, Firsa, has often been called the jewel of the Khivan continent due to its seemingly inexhaustible gold and gem mines that are located in the mountains of the northern part of the city. The country's history since the Khivan Empire's collapse has been unremarkable, as they were never involved in major conflicts or disasters. In fact, they were often seen as the Khivan continent's equivalent to Niva as they had no military to speak of. Firsan settlements would instead appoint lawkeepers, which are a sort of militarised police force that takes care of local law and order. While the lawkeepers are still around and are arguably experienced fighters, there were not enough of them to mobilise any kind of sufficient resistance when the Varnians invaded during the Great Invasion of Khiva. The Firsans were thus forced to surrender much quicker than their southern neighbours, the Na'tar, and consequently lost their eastern-most territories to the Varnian Empire. It has been 25 years since then, and the Firsans have not been wasting time. After electing Lady-Regent Innissa, the Firsans have spent much of their wealth on hiring mercenaries and establishing a professional army large enough to repel the Varnians and perhaps even retake lost Firsan territories in case the Silver Scourge declares war once more. The previously peaceful farmlands of what has become the eastern border is now littered with formidable fortifications, which the Varnians would be fools to underestimate. The Firsans, after all, are renowned for their talent for fortifying their homes.